The photo mode consultant helping you take better video game screenshots | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.The photo mode consultant helping you take better video game screenshotsComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportThe photo mode consultant helping you take better video game screenshotsLudovic ‘Shinobi’ Helme has worked on games ranging from Cyberpunk 2077 to Expedition 33.by Khee Hoon ChanCloseKhee Hoon ChanPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Khee Hoon ChanMar 27, 2026, 2:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftDeath Stranding. | Image: Ludovic “Shinobi” HelmeThree children stare at the dilapidated remains of a battlefield, with trees and man-made structures mostly razed to the ground, save for the sturdy frame of a lone trebuchet. It’s a pensive snapshot of the bloodshed in A Plague Tale: Innocence by virtual photographer Ludovic “Shinobi” Helme — but it’s no mere screenshot. It’s a meticulously framed photograph, enhanced with real-world photographic techniques: composition, lighting, depth of field, and more. “[Virtual photography] is a way to discover the game differently, because you can check every single detail,” says Helme. “It’s really enhancing the artistry in a game for your eyes, and then creating something from it for someone else.”It’s also a photograph that can be taken with greater ease, given the growing popularity — and complexity — of photo modes in games. Helme is one of very few, if not the first, consultants for these tools, a journey that began when he first approached developer Cold Symmetry about their soulslike Mortal Shell. The studio was impressed by the photographs he took in-game, and when Helme asked about collaborating on a potential photo mode feature, the team swiftly agreed. “Basically I created this work, at least the name ‘photo mode consultant,’” he says. “Of course, other people probably had a role of advising on other photo modes [...] but as an external adviser, specifically for photo modes, I’m definitely the first one.” His successful collaboration with Cold Symmetry led to work on everything from the Lovecraftian horror game The Shore to blockbuster titles like Deathloop and Cyberpunk 2077.His latest stint was on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Helme believes that its photo mode is “close to perfection,” with a dizzying number of settings, including camera roll, aperture, frames for accommodating photograph sizes and several types of grids, as well as minute tweaks to lighting, color grading, filters, and other visual effects. Then there’s the sheer freedom of movement that comes from the option to sever the camera from the player’s perspective. Having spoken to some virtual photographers, all of them pointed out that many photo modes have extremely limited range; Helme says this is akin to not being able to move and extend your arms in real life. Yet in Expedition 33, shutterbugs can now wander to more than just an arm’s length, and even move several paces from the initial scene.A Plague Tale: Innocence. Image: Ludovic “Shinobi” HelmeExpedition 33’s photo mode is just one example of these tools becoming increasingly sophisticated. Ghost of Yōtei has a tracking shot option that lets virtual photographers pan the camera slowly from one point to the next, with up to 16 tracking points. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s photo mode has a three-point lighting system, with several focusing settings such as focus assistance and split focal plane. Photo modes have become even more widespread in part due to the growing number of blueprints in Unreal Engine, such as the Advanced Photo Mode, which Helme described as a basic and simple to use feature. “I think publishers want [photo modes] more than developers,” he says. “It’s basically free marketing on the internet.”As a consultant, Helme says that his role involves sharing his expertise. “I’m here to give [studios] pointers, pedagogic explanations on why [certain] features are essential or, on the contrary, which ones are not really that important,” he says. To him, virtual photography is very much a different experience from simply playing through the game, and this distinction is crucial for studios to understand. Thus, the consultation process usually entails discussing and prioritizing specific photo mode features with the developer and, once these are implemented, testing builds and offering feedback.Yet, technical issues have often impeded developers from adding some of his suggestions. “Some studios are a bit concerned, like the textures won’t load properly, or people can check the surroundings and see enemies hiding,” Helme explains. Crafting photo modes across platforms, too, is another major challenge, with Helme adding that several features he has been trying to get in photo modes cannot be included, because they are particularly complicated to implement on consoles. One example is the lack of orientation choices, be it shooting in landscape or portrait. Without this, virtual photographers usually have to tilt their heads to do a portrait shot — something that Helme says is “really hurting everyone in this hobby.” Many photo modes offer the alternative of cropping the pictures with black bars, which reduces the photo resolution. “If I want to shoot a vertical portrait without sacrificing resolution through cropping, I am forced to rotate the camera 90 degrees, compose the shot with my head tilted, and then manually rotate the file later on my PC,” Cristiano Bonora of Vertical Gaming Photography explains.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Image: Ludovic “Shinobi” HelmeAnother nice-to-have feature? A slow motion option that will allow virtual photographers to fast-forward or rewind several seconds to seize the perfect moment. “In Mortal Shell, we had a slow-motion feature with three different speeds, and it’s also very convenient, very helpful in many circumstances,” Helme says. “Now, what I would like to have is something that also does the reverse, like being able to have a few seconds back if you missed the [moment].” Virtual photographer Cabbac, who has put together a database of games with photo modes, also believes that such an option is sorely lacking. “Timing can be everything when creating a shot,” he says.One of the major challenges with creating a feature-rich photo mode is also ensuring that it’s accessible to non-experts. One game that Helme believes strikes this balance well is Sony’s zombie thriller Days Gone. “It’s really one of my favorite of all time,” he says. “You can have the very basic features, or you have an advanced mode and [...] have way more control. So it’s perfect for people who just want to take a quick shot, or people who want to work on their shot for one hour.”Helme is optimistic about the future of photo modes, and he’s eager to work with more studios, regardless of size — even if some developers have plenty of room for improvement when it comes to these tools. “I hope big companies like Capcom or Konami will reach out to me to improve Resident Evil’s photo modes or the terrible, terrible Dragon’s Dogma 2 photo mode,” he laughs.But as photo modes become more prevalent, there’s a chance that even highly technical photo modes may start to resemble one another across games, a development Helme is cautiously wary of. After all, even real-life cameras have different functions across brands and models. “I really hope big games will continue to take risks and produce photo modes with new features.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Khee Hoon ChanCloseKhee Hoon ChanPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Khee Hoon ChanEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMost PopularMost PopularMeta gets ready to launch two new Ray-Ban AI glassesThe United States router ban, explainedNetflix is raising prices againSony is raising PS5 prices by $100 in AprilApple’s Mac Pro is dead, apparently for good this timeThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in EntertainmentApple’s AI Playlist Playground is bad at musicStreaming keeps getting more expensive: all the latest price hikesNetflix is raising prices againXbox’s latest games showcase had Hades 2, The Expanse, and BlueyWebtoon is adding AI localization tools to its comics platformSpotify is letting artists manually approve releases to combat AI fakesApple’s AI Playlist Playground is bad at musicTerrence O'BrienMar 26Streaming keeps getting more expensive: all the latest price hikesVerge StaffMar 26Netflix is raising prices againEmma RothMar 26Xbox’s latest games showcase had Hades 2, The Expanse, and BlueyAndrew WebsterMar 26Webtoon is adding AI localization tools to its comics platformCharles Pulliam-MooreMar 26Spotify is letting artists manually approve releases to combat AI fakesTerrence O'BrienMar 25Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop Stories10:00 AM UTCRank the 50 best Apple productsTwo hours agoSony is raising PS5 prices by $100 in AprilAn hour agoThese ‘clinically tested’ gummies may or may not help you poopMar 26My brief, weird time with the Samsung TriFold31 minutes agoReturning from a humanitarian aid trip to Cuba, Americans have phones seized at US airport7 minutes agoWe picked the 24 best Big Spring Sale deals that are under $50The VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie PolicyLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform Status© 2026 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved

The burgeoning trend of photo modes in modern video games is receiving a significant boost from the specialized expertise of Ludovic “Shinobi” Helme, a consultant uniquely positioned to elevate these features beyond simple screenshot capture. Helme's journey began with Cold Symmetry’s Mortal Shell, where he established himself as the initial figure in this emerging field, a role he’s since expanded to encompass titles like Deathloop, Cyberpunk 2077, and most recently, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. His approach is rooted in a deep understanding of photographic principles—composition, lighting, depth of field—and he meticulously applies these techniques to create compelling visual narratives within the game’s environment. Helme’s work on Expedition 33, in particular, highlights his ambition for photo modes, boasting an expansive array of controls—including camera roll, aperture, and intricate lighting adjustments—that far surpass the limitations often found in less sophisticated implementations.

A key element of Helme’s consultancy is his emphasis on enhancing the player’s creative freedom, particularly regarding camera movement. Unlike many photo modes that restrict movement to a limited range, Helme advocates for expanding the photographer's reach, allowing for exploration and composition beyond the typical arm's length. This focus on liberating the player’s creative perspective is central to his work. His collaboration with Ghost of Yōtei demonstrates this by incorporating a tracking shot feature, offering a novel way to capture dynamic scenes. Similarly, Helme acknowledges the varied technical challenges associated with photo mode implementation, including platform-specific limitations and the potential for issues arising from extensive feature sets, like texture loading problems or concerns about player observation. Despite these obstacles, he continuously pushes for advancements, such as a slow-motion feature and the ability to reverse time—concepts he believes are crucial for truly effective virtual photography.

Helme’s approach isn't solely technical; he also understands the marketing potential of well-designed photo modes. He views them as “free marketing on the internet,” encouraging publishers to prioritize these features as a means of generating player engagement and content creation. His role as a consultant involves providing studios with pedagogical guidance on feature prioritization—identifying what truly enhances the experience versus what is superfluous—before testing builds and offering feedback during development. This iterative process represents a fundamentally different approach to game development than simply adding features based on current trends.

The increasing sophistication of photo modes reflects a broader shift in the gaming landscape, influenced in part by readily available Unreal Engine blueprints, like the Advanced Photo Mode, that provide a foundation for implementing complex photographic controls. However, Helme cautions against homogenization, urging developers to continue innovating and pushing the boundaries of these systems. He recognizes that the best photo modes are accessible to both casual players and experienced photographers, offering a range of options from basic captures to advanced, highly-controlled compositions. A prime example of this balance is Sony’s Days Gone, which provides both simple and complex options to accommodate a wide range of player skill levels. Helme is optimistic about the future, envisioning more robust and creatively-rich photo modes across diverse games, even anticipating the potential for features to diverge across platforms, reflecting the varied capabilities of different camera systems.